To Kill a God
by Shadow of Darkness 22
Summary: Killing a God is impossible: that's why a God is a God. Corvo doesn't let that deter him when he finds out the truth of the Heart the Outsider gave him.


Hey guys! Back with another fanfiction. I am on a roll! However this one is a bit different then the last two I've posted due to the fact I wanted to write something a bit different than normal.

I hope you all enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

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When he opened his eyes, Corvo hadn't been all that surprised to see that he wasn't in his room in the Hound's Pitt Pub. He was in the Void again. The blue space that stretched out for what seemed like an eternity and the floating remains of buildings and memories made this a dead give away for the Void. He sat up from the bed, and made his way towards the open wall. Below laid a small path floating over the endless bottom, leading away to some location he was sure the Outsider would be. He followed it without hesitation. A part of him wondered why he was summoned into the Void, the other part already knew why.

During his missions Corvo always kept the heart the Outsider bestowed upon him close. The voice that whispered to him the first few times was a bit of a surprise. Especially since the voice sounded familiar. For a while, he ignored the soft voice whispering people's inner secrets to him as focused on finding the runes and his mission. Then a little later he found it to be a nice comfort when he was alone. It wasn't until it started whispering facts about someone he cared for deeply, someone who was _dead_, that Corvo began to become both unnerved and curious about the clock-work organ gifted to him by the Outsider. Something that would always remind him why he was doing these things in the first place. But why did it have to be **her**?

The path he was following finally ended and Corvo found himself in an almost exact replica of the area where Jessamine was killed. He clenched his fists for a second, silently wondering if the Outsider was toying with him. Right on cue, the Outsider appeared, arms crossed and staring at Corvo with his dark black eyes. Corvo hated staring into those eyes, it was like the deity was looking into his very soul, and Corvo didn't like feeling exposed. He returned the God's stare evenly, refusing to be intimidated by him.

"You have been making interesting choices so far Corvo," the Outsider finally began, his expression emotionless. "And yet, I find that you seem... distracted as of late," the Outsider held out a hand then, and in a wisp of black smoke the heart he gave Corvo floated there. "Is it perhaps because of this?" the Outsider asked, though Corvo knew that the God already knew the answer.

"Why does it sound like her? Why does it hold her memories?" Corvo found himself asking anyway. The Outsider's looked at the heart for a moment.

"I told you before, it is the heart of a living thing, molded by my hands," the Outsider said letting the heart disappear into the black smoke.

"Yes, but why her? Why Jessamine? Is that really her heart?" Corvo insisted as he stared at the Outsider, looking irritated. The Outsider merely floated there for a moment, not answering Corvo right away.

"Your dear Empress?" the Outsider finally said, tilting his head as a lone eyebrow rose. "I believe you already know the answer to that my dear Corvo," he said finally, crossing his arms again as Corvo stared at him in mild shock.

"But is she at rest? Is that really her?" Corvo took a step towards the Outsider, looking rather insistent on the God actually giving him a straight answer instead of half ones.

"She is with you, just like you always wanted Corvo," the Outsider said and Corvo stood there for a moment, taking it all in. If the heart really was Jessamine then all those things she whispered about being cold and her previous memories were real. She really was with him, but that didn't mean she was resting peacefully. The Outsider had forced her soul to stay with him for some simple runes and secrets. Corvo missed her, but he did not want for her to feel like this in her death. There was no peace in this!

"I did not ask for you to do this or for these powers!" Corvo suddenly said, holding up his left hand as the mark upon it flared brightly in his anger.

"No, you did not ask," the Outsider said not at all bothered by Corvo's sudden anger. "You hold an important role, and that mark-" suddenly the Outsider was directly in front of him, latching onto his left hand tightly. The mark flared brighter causing a burning sensation over his hand that caused Corvo to hiss in pain. Automatically he tried to force the Outsider to let go, but the Outsider's grip only tightened. "-was my gift to you Corvo," Corvo lashed out a punch at the Outsider with his free hand, but all he hit was air as the Outsider disappeared before he could make contact. His hand was free, but it was still burning in pain as the mark continued to shine brightly on its own.

"I'm playing for your amusement, I get it," Corvo said, glaring heatedly at the Outsider who appeared a little away. "But get rid of the heart, I don't need it or your runes," he spat. The Outsider really looked at him then.

"By destroying the heart, you are asking to burn all ties to The Empress's connection to your realm," the Outsider said, making the heart appear in his hand again, but this time it was beating rapidly like there was a rune nearby. "By asking me to destroy it would be killing her Corvo," he said as he grabbed the heart with his pale fingers, squeezing the beating organ tightly. The reaction was almost immediate as cries of pain that sounded like Jessamine rang loudly in his mind causing Corvo to cry out and cover his ears.

"Stop it!" he yelled, glaring at the Outsider as Jessamine's screams continued to get louder and louder. The Outsider seemed to have not heard him and instead only squeezed harder. "I said _STOP_!" in a flash, Corvo was in front of the Outsider swiping at him with his sword that he had taken out a second ago. The Outsider didn't disappear this time, but dodged the attack. Corvo yelled out in rage as he continued his assault until the Outsider grabbed his right wrist and his neck before Corvo could do anything, and slammed him against one of the pillars, pinning him there by the tight hold on his neck. Corvo choked at the force and struggled to get himself free by clawing at the Outsider's hand with his free left hand. The Outsider merely stared at him.

"You really are a walking contradiction Corvo," the Outsider said looking almost bored. "You can't seem to make up your mind to what you really want," Corvo glared at him.

"I'll kill you," he hissed, struggling as the Outsider's expression changed to one of deep amusement.

"You cannot kill a God," he said, and Corvo paused in his struggles, staring at the Outsider as if he was asked to do a challenge.

"True," Corvo grunted before launching his for a well aimed knee strike to the Outsider's stomach. The Outsider doubled over, from either the pain or the brute force of the blow, and loosened his grip on Corvo's neck. Corvo used this opportunity to slam the Outsider's face down on his knee causing the God to grunt and shift up a bit so Crovo could grab his neck. He twirled the sword in his right hand and stabbed the Outsider in the chest without a second's hesitation. The God made a soft sound before tensing in his hold. They stared at each other then as Corvo dug the blade deeper, feeling the black blood pool onto his hand. "But that doesn't mean I cannot try," Corvo hissed.

The Outsider didn't say anything and Corvo wasn't sure what was going to happen now, but he certainly didn't expect the Outsider to pull his head back and let out a laugh. The laughter wasn't a pleasing sound, it was empty and mocking, but it also sounded like someone drowning in water. The laughter went on for a few seconds before it became lighter and sounded a little more feminine before falling completely silent. Corvo stared in horror as the body that was once the Outsider's changed to that of Jessamine's. She looked at him sadly, her hand pressing against his cheek as he lowered them both to the ground in shock, bringing her closer to him. "Jessamine?" he whispered, his whole body shaking as he looked down at her.

"Corvo..." she whimpered, giving him a soft smile as blood dripped from her mouth down her chin. He shook even harder, wanting to hold her tighter to him, to kiss her, to apologize, but all he could see was how red his hands were and the sword that was stabbed through her heart. Her eyes closed then, dying in his arms for the second time, and he couldn't help but release a shaky breath that was close to a sob. He brought her body closer, hugging and rocking her as he silently cried. However, he felt a hand run through his hair almost soothingly and he pulled back only to see that Jessamine's face was replaced with black eyes and a face that didn't belong to her.

"I'm looking forward to it my dear Corvo," the Outsider said, referring back to when Corvo would try to kill him. Corvo opened his mouth then, about to make full on that promise, when he found himself falling into the void. He looked up as he fell and all he saw was the Outsider standing and watching him fall.

"Corvo!" a young girl's scream shouted and Corvo gasped upright in his bed, breathing heavily and looking around his room for any kind of danger. It took him a minute to realize that Emily was by his side, looking worried. "Are you ok Corvo?" she asked as he finally relaxed, bringing her close so he could hug her tightly.

"I am now," he said after pulling back and patting her head softly. "Sorry for making you worry," he said and she nodded.

"Was it a nightmare about mother?" she asked softly, and Corvo looked down at her wondering how she came to that conclusion. "Well, you were muttering her name in your sleep... so I assume you have nightmares about her death too..." she said looking sad as she said that and Corvo couldn't help but look at Emily, wishing she didn't have to go through what she did. That would change soon enough.

"Yes," he admitted and she nodded again. "Shouldn't you be in your room?" he asked, changing the subject for the sake of them both. She looked at him then, pouting a bit.

"I am, but, I just wanted to say good night to you," she said and he smiled before giving her another hug and a kiss on the forehead.

"Good night Emily, now go to bed before Callista finds you," he said with a chuckle and she giggled.

"Ok! Good night Corvo have good dreams the rest of the night!" she said before running off, leaving him alone. As soon as he was completely alone Corvo moved out of his bed over to the chair to dig though his coat hanging over it, that he had taken off before sleeping. He searched through it until he found exactly what he wanted and pulled it out. There was the heart, perfectly in tact, and beating softly as it picked up a nearby rune he would have to collect in the morning. He sighed as he sat back down on his bed, running a hand over his face as he breathed a sigh of relief.

The heart began to beat a little faster and Corvo looked up. Across the room, standing in the shadows was the Outsider, watching him. Corvo stared back, his hand still holding the ever beating heart that began to whisper to him once more.

**Even Gods get bored**.

"_Boredom is just the reverse side of fascination: both depend on being outside rather than inside a situation, and one leads to the other._"

-Arthur Schopenhauer


End file.
